You have to love Canada Day. The celebrations are the perfect way to kick off summer.
We like to stick to tradition in Elora and call the festivities, Dominion Day. Call us old fashioned if you like. It’s just the way we are. We love to party and have fun too.
Canada Day 2012 started with a hearty breakfast served up by the local fire fighters in MacDonald Square. Were you able to make it to enjoy a pancake feast? Thank you to the fires fighters for all of their hard work today, and every day.
Elora-Salem Horticultural Society
Geddes Street, sloping down from David, has a fantastic hill for soap box racing. Add a starting ramp at the top, and the racers are set. There are always some incredible paint jobs on the vehicles. The drivers must have nerves of steel. That slope can create some fast speeds worthy of a well constructed vehicle. Congratulations to all of this year’s racers.
Fergus Brass Band plays the 1967 hit “Ca-na-da” for Canada Day parade goers in Elora. Remember it?
Once the soap box derby cleared out, the Dominion Day parade began with police cars and fire trucks leading the way. It started at the arena, turned from David St. onto Geddes, following Metcalfe and along Mill St. to Bissell Park. Thanks to all of the parade organizers and participants for their efforts. It was a fabulous parade. Did anyone recognize the 1967 hit played by the Fergus Brass Band?
Sunshine and fresh air make everyone hungry. Lions Club volunteers treated parade goers to hot dogs and drinks in the park. The line was long, but the wait was worth it.
Traveling around the park were a group of volunteers selling yellow rubber ducks for the Rotary Club duck race. All proceeds of the race were donated to Habitat for Humanity. Their next local build will be on Forfar St. in Fergus.
Getting ready for the 12 and under race at Bissell Park
Earlier in the morning 5k and 10k races, sponsored by local charity KnECT were held. Prizes were awarded for race winners and pledge winners. Proceeds of the fundraising run will be donated to Habitat for Humanity Fergus build, the local Community Living Centre and KnECT projects.
Those 12 and under had their races on the special track set up in Bissell Park. The competition in these races was much fiercer than competition in the 5K and 10K races. Many held off eating their hot dogs until the race was over, in order to be in top form. Gold, silver and bronze medals were awarded, and all participants went home with a frisbee.
It takes skill and agility to keep the ducks in the race. July 1.
The afternoon finished with the great duck race. Everyone clustered along the river to watch the ducks be dumped from the pedestrian bridge by the dam. Kayakers kept the ducks in check on their trip over the dam, to the finish line. Onlookers cheered on their sponsored ducks until the fastest was scooped out of the water and deemed the winner. Organizers declared that Habitat for Humanity was the true winner of the race.
Characters from ‘Older Voices’ share a story from Elora’s past.
The organized festivities ended with the duck race, but the fun was not over. Elora is always a great place on any day. ‘Older Voices’ provided historical tours, music and stories throughout town for the balance of the afternoon.
Elora holds fireworks on the Victoria Day weekend, so we passed the entertainment baton to Fergus for an evening of fun and fireworks.
Let the summer festivities begin.
